Strainer for air-brakes of cars



(No Model.) 7 V T. B. HUNT. STBAINER'POR AIR BRAKES 0P CARS.

No. 569,203. Patent-ed Oct. 13, 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

THOMAS B. HUNT, OF CHICAGO, ILL INOIS.

STRAIN ER FOR Al R-BRAKES OF CARS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 569,203, dated October13,1896.

Application filed April 24,1896. Serial No. 588,913- (No model.)

To all whom it nay concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. HUNT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Drain-Cups and Strainers forAir- Brakes of Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in air-brake drain-cups andstrainers.

' Heretofore in air-brake apparatus the draincups and strainers havebeen placed in the main air-brake pipe itself, the drain-cups beingformed in the T coupling or connection leading to each brake-cylinder orreservoir through the triple valve, and the strainer, consisting of acylinder of perforated sheet metal or wire-gauze, extending horizontallyin the direction of the main pipe and being usually soldered to thenecks of the cylindrical horizontal drain-cup to secure it in place; butgreat practical difficulty has been experienced in keeping such strainerand draincups sufficiently clean or free from dirt and water to preventthe triple valve from becoming stuck or gummed up and to enable it tooperate properly and with certainty, as required; and a great deal oftime and labor is required to clean the drain-cups and strainers, as todo this the main pipe has to be taken apart on one or both sides of thedraincup, the strainer unsolderedand removed and cleaned, and then againsoldered back in place.

The object of my invention is to provide an air-brake drain-cup andstrainer of a simple, durable, and efficient construction by means ofwhich these difliculties maybe avoided and by which the cups andstrainer may be'easily and quickly cleaned without the necessity ofdisturbing the main pipe or its connections or even removing thedrain-cup from its posi tion. These results I accomplish, and herein myinvention consists, by combining with the main air-brake pipe and thecustomary triple valve leading to or controlling the connection ablescrew-threaded cap or plug at=its lower My invention also consists inthe novel construction of parts and devices and in the novelcombinations of parts and devices herein shown and described, andspecified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all theviews, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device embodying my invention.Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail vertical section of the drain-cup andstrainer and their immediate connections. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectionon the line 3 3 of Fig.2, and Fig. 4; is a detail view showing thepreferred or perfected construction of the strainer.

In said drawings, A represents the main air-brake pipe of arailway-train, and B one of the triple valves controlling thecommunication between the main pipe A and the brakecylinder' 0, allthese parts being of any ordi- So nary or suitable construction nowfamiliar to those skilled in the art and needing no detaileddescription.

' Dis'the drain-cup, the same occupying a vertical position and beingconnected at its upper end or nipple d to the main air-brake pipe A by aT-coupling or other suitable connection' E. The drain-cup D has ascrewthreaded nipple cl, projecting from its cylindrical surface'ne'arits upper end and congo nected to the branch pipe F, leadingto thetriple valve B. The drain-cup D is provided at its lower end with aremovable screw-threaded plug or cap D, secured to the threaded end ornipple d of the cup D, a gasket or pack- 5 The lower of the drain-cup Dis preferably divided into two parts or chambers D D by an intermediatewall or partition (1 and forming an intermediate support or guide forthe flexible perforated wall of the strainer. The upper surface of thisintermediate web d is preferd drain-clip and Strainer, and WhlCh may beably conical or flaring, as shown at 61 but its ,under surface ispreferably recurved, as

I similar purpose. I I I Owing to the uprightposition of the strainershown at cl", in order that it may thus tend to downwardly deflect anydirt collected in. the lower chamber D of the cup and stirred up by theair when forcibly passing through the drain-cup and strainer from themain pipe A to the triple valve B or brake cylinder 0.

The internal dividing-web d? of the draincup has notches or openings (Zat its inner edge, surrounding the strainer, to facilitate the passageof air, dirt, or water into the" lower or drip collecting chamber D? ofthe drain-cup, and the upper surface of this' web is made flaring ordownwardly inclined for a) and drain cup the upper portion of thestrainer, or that part thereof withinthe upper or air-filtering ordirt-separating chainhe r]? of the drain-cup, naturally tends to remainclean or unclogged by the dirt until the lower or' dirt-collectingchamber D of the cup be comes filled to the level of the dividing web (1and as the cup and strainer is of course cleaned out before such con'miei y occurs it will be seen that my device will always op erate reliablyand properly and efiectua'lly prevent the triple or other valve frombeam ing gummed, stuck up'; or clogged with dirt;

To facilitate the Withdrawal of the strainer G from the cup D, and alsoto strengthen it,

so that it will preserve its shape and properly I fit the guides orwalls d d ofthe cup, lprjo' p I g e tion with the main aiibrake pipea'iid the vide it with internal rings g g,preferab1y soldered therete,one at each end; These strengthening rings or shoulders afford a readymeans for getting hold of the strainer to pull it out of the cup eitherwith the flit-gar; or, if necessary, with a suitable hook, tool, orinstrument; v I V The strainer G maybe singldas shown in Fig. l, but Iprefer to make it doume, shown in Fig; 4, where two strainers G Gareslipped one inside of another. In this stirstruction the rings g fortheouter strainer G serve also as 'spacingdevices to keep the strainersconcentric or in place in respect to each other. I d I d The removablestrainer or strainers, it will be observed, are simplypushed upward inteplace in the drain-cup D and then supported in place by the removablecap D at the lower end of the cup. 7 p 7 v Instead of screwing theconnection or branch pipe F directly onto the threaded mp;- ple cl, Iprefer to secure said pipe F to said nipple cl by a screw-threaded unionorcoup? ling H and gasket h, and interpos'e a second strainer K of aconical or hood shape between p pe an ifiliisv p1; main P ll? var im thedrain-cup D and the triple valve B. By unscrewing the union H thestrainer K can be readily cleaned, as it is clamped at its rim between ashoulder f on the threaded sleeve F and a shoulder cl on the nipple d.By

this means I secure an eflicient and reliable easily kept in perfectcondition, as it can be thoroughly cleanedby simply unscrewing the capor plug D, which closes the opening in the lower end of the cup, andremoving the Y strainer from the cup; This, by my invention, can be donein a few minutes, whereas in the old construction a great deal of time Iwas required to clean the drain-cup and strainer, and by removing thedrain cup and strainer entirely-from the in ain ,pipc A all danger ortrouble arising from the strainer becoming cldgge'd with dirt orcollapsing 1111? de'r pressure and thus interfering with the passage ofthe air threngh the inainpipe is wholly avoided; By reason of the; dirtand Water collecting in the chamber at the rower part of tire iaintiip,we dirt-and water separated from the air By the strainer isre tamed in aimp-er receptac e wasted o t Of the direct cu rent or the air in itspassage fr th me time th l e aim th r e a ii hu e t filiwhi e wi an tactwith such dirt and water-than is possible where the drain-cup andstrainer are located in the main pipe or in the direct for a t n-refitof the air.- The accomplishment air this rest-1t is also aided hi theinterposed -'ci1"3ind ortliegreater' portion theio passes.

, 1. In anair rakeapp 'itus,theco1nbinafiiil i l 6 i 11i s ili r qm m ewith the brake-cylinder, at an iirr htfi 'i r esp interposed e; can saidmam pipe and va v and res-aw ntsremevst estaiast as iawsest matin e stwe -arr,

the eiit e'p'ening r the (nae-su and naming the reiiiovatiestramiitsits-e, satsafiasny j l sed tastes saie iniziii t s mnes a: v m-mfildeated iii Said branch a and said valve ar a with it. iemava abletap, substantially a The eonibiiiatieil with the trikemany as specified;

, a. The eonitiinat tnwitt drain'e ii'p nav -r, ing inlet and outletopenings for the air to ble strait-er held in plate by i l n 1 2 5 531f) c ntested tosaia branch pass through and a double strainer andaremovable cap closing the exit-opening of the drain-cup and holding thestrainer in place, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with a drain-cup having inlet and outlet openings forthe air to pass through and a double strainer, comprising two separatestrainers fitting one inside the other and each provided with aninternal ring or shoulder and a removable cap closing the exit-openingof the drain-cup and holding the strainer in place, substantially asspecified.

6. The combination with a drain-cup divided into two chambers by anintermediate web or wall, of a strainer extending through saidintermediate web or Wall, the lower surface of said intermediate web orwall being recurved substantially as specified.

7. The combination with a drain-cup divided into two chambers by anintermediate web or wall, of a strainer extending through saidintermediate web or wall, the upper surface of said web or wall beingdownwardly inclined and furnished with openings, sub- THOMAS E. HUNT.

as specified.

Witnesses H. M. ll/IUNDAY, EDMUND ADCOCK.

